As I launched into an ungainly pirouette, the teacher announced that you can never have freedom without discipline.

I was struck by her words, because I would never before have considered that discipline can lead to freedom.

Surely discipline was all about the opposite? Regimen, control, authority – the antithesis of freedom.

I am an artist! I thought. I need to be free to catch inspiration in the ether, to find my muses, to follow the glittery trail of magical intrigue.

I still struggle with discipline, but at least these days I understand that it's a necessary instrument in the creator's toolkit. It takes time and practice to successfully enable magic to flourish in your life.

Over Christmas, I created a time management system to help me keep track of all the things that need to be worked on and taken care of. But don't worry – I fully intend to decorate it liberally with glitter...